


A Little Nudge

by STARSdidathing



Series: The "You Belong With Me" Series [31]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Cute, First Kiss, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Mentor/Protégé, Mischief, Mischief Managed, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Peter Parker is a Good Bro, Peter is a Little Shit, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Pre-Slash, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Wordcount: 100-1.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2019-01-07 22:00:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12241437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/STARSdidathing/pseuds/STARSdidathing
Summary: Sometimes it's hard to see the truth that everyone else has known all along.





	A Little Nudge

**Author's Note:**

> Holy crap. I actually write something with Peter Parker :O Take a long moment to enjoy this, I have no idea if it will ever happen again, lol.
> 
> Other than that, thank HalcyonFrost and NovaRain for giving this a skim before I posted it. They were both online while I poked at it and made uncertain expressions. Thankfully, they told me it was all good ♥

Peter was in the training room when Tony found him.

His back had been to the door, but Tony didn’t hesitate to make himself known. He stalked inside, announcing his presence with a demand that FRIDAY keep anyone from interrupting them.

Peter had turned to face the older man but hadn’t managed to get a word out before Tony was well... _growling_ at him. 

Tony had obviously discovered what Peter had done, had worked out _why_ he’d done it in the first place and was now confronting him. Peter just stood silently, watching as Tony gestured with his hands, chastised Peter and paced. Peter let him, if only to buy himself further time.

Tony ended the long, winding, reprimand with a harsh glare as he told Peter, firmly and angrily, “I don’t ever want to see you do this again.”

“But-” Peter tried, only to be cut off. Tony even took a half-step forward, his short stature irrelevant to his ability to intimidate. Peter was really just praying he hadn’t miscalculated.

“No, Peter. When you like someone you do _not_ try and break up their relationship. You do not make bitter, asshole remarks about their boyfriend. You weather it. You help them, you be a _friend_. You help them be happy, even if it's never going to be with _you_."

Peter was quiet for a long moment, collecting his thoughts, straining his senses and cataloguing the clench of Tony’s jaw and the tightness in his eyes. “Is that what you did?" 

Verbally, Tony didn’t react, but Peter saw the engineer’s shoulders stiffen. So he pushed it that little bit further home with something he’d known for months, _years_ as he watched it develop from the sidelines; hoping his senses weren’t lying to him.

“It is, isn’t it? That's what you did with Loki."

Tony scowled at him, his teeth tightly clenched. His voice was flat and forcibly controlled when he spoke, “Learn from my mistakes, kid. If you can’t do the right thing, then blow out that torch and do it before it's too late. Make sure they're happy and set your sights elsewhere.”

“You’re saying give up?”

When Tony smiled, it was pained and bitter. “You'll either win them or you won't, but don't waste years of your life hoping for something if it doesn’t look like you’ll ever get it."

Peter eyed him, seeing the proof of something he’d long suspected. "You never told Loki that you loved him, did you?"

Tony gave a harsh laugh and lightly pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, this isn't about me. This is about _you_ and the mess you've got yourself in with Wanda."

"I was supposed to do what you did?" Peter demanded. "Never say anything? Never take a chance?"

"Just pick your battles, kid," Tony told him sombrely, dropping his hand and looking, momentarily deflated. He picked himself back up; Tony _always_ picked himself back up. Peter had known Tony for years and if nothing else was constant, there was always that. “You might get a chance later on, but not by tearing down the competition. Not by putting a wedge between her and her boyfriend."

Peter could see this wasn’t going the way he wanted. His senses were also warning him that he needed to act _now_ , so he quickly switched tactics. “You know that Wanda only likes you more because _Loki_ thinks the world of you?" 

Tony looked briefly thrown. “Huh?”

“You look at Loki like he’s the best thing in your life. He does the same, you know.” 

Tony scoffed, but there was something pained in the sound and it was reflected in his eyes. "Yeah, sure, kid."

"Actually," and Peter had to hide the surge of triumph as Loki spoke stepping into the room from his hiding place, "the little spider is quite right."

Tony’s eyes widened, looking horrified before he spun around to face the mage. Peter couldn’t see Tony’s expression anymore but Loki... he was looking at Tony as if he's never seen him before, as if he was certain he wasn’t real.

"I do believe my protégé and yours have set us up," Loki remarked softly as he came to a stop inches from Tony. "It seems they could see what neither of us could dare to believe."

"And what was that?" Tony asked hoarsely.

"That it was not just one of us in love,” Loki whispered, his hand raising slowly until it could cup Tony’s cheek, “but both."

Tony let out a harsh breath before he was reaching out and gripping Loki's shirt, using it to keep the other man close. Loki just smiled in a way that was softer and sweeter than anything Peter had ever seen before. Loki was then ducking down and kissing Tony.

Peter could see a fine shudder wrack through them both and it made Peter smile; seeing years of longing, want and happiness escape under that one, requited gesture.

He made sure to be very quiet and very careful as he snuck his way of the room.

“Lock down the room for real, yeah, FRIDAY?” Peter requested.

“Yes, Mr Parker,” she replied. “Miss Maximoff is awaiting you and the result.”

“Tell her I’ll be there to give her a high-five. It worked and we got the idiots together.”

“Very good, Mr Parker,” FRIDAY replied, and Peter swore he heard a dash of satisfaction in her voice too.

After all, sometimes, it wasn’t always the protégé that needed a little helping hand, sometimes it was the mentor instead.

**Author's Note:**

> Not normally a fan of the "Wanda is Loki's apprentice" thing. Not actually a fan of "movieverse Wanda" _at all_ , but it was the only way I could make this work. So, I decree that Loki beat the asshole out of her and made her bearable and able to become friends with Peter and want to help her mentor be happy with his beloved Tony. So there XD
> 
> Hope you all like!
> 
> p.s. For anyone reading SYT and wondering about an update it is on my list and I'm getting to it things are just... well, slightly complicated right now. I'll explain at the next update. But don't worry, things are good, or _getting_ good, just gotta deal with and finish some things first :) Less cryptic responses to be revealed soon!! ♥


End file.
